


Demons for the Dying

by demon_faith



Series: The Pulp Duet [2]
Category: DCU (Comics), Justice League of America (Comics)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-04-02
Updated: 2007-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-27 12:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6285073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demon_faith/pseuds/demon_faith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ted's recovered, but no one really knows why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demons for the Dying

**Author's Note:**

> Okay: As [](http://eliyes.livejournal.com/profile)[eliyes](http://eliyes.livejournal.com/) pointed out, [Bloom](http://community.livejournal.com/boostle/161730.html) had a giant plothole. After I went back and read it, I realised that while I’d intended one thing, I’d actually written something else (my brain scares me sometimes). With this new knowledge, I came up with a completely different explanation to the one I’d originally intended. I suppose that technically makes this a retcon. :s

Ted was sat up in bed, reading, when Booster came in with lunch. He looked up and smiled at him.

“Hey. Aren’t you sick of this job yet?”

Booster just smiled at him, but something was wrong behind his eyes and Ted’s grin faded.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, fine, fine." He fussed around the room a little, straightening the duvet and refilling Ted's water glass. It was with a skilled eye that Ted watched him limp around, favouring his right leg as he moved. Had there been a fight while he'd been sick? His memories were a blur of pain and he didn't particularly want to rifle through them.

"Is there anything you need?" Booster said, finally meeting his eyes, but quickly looking away. Now, Ted was really worried.

"No, but…are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Booster said firmly and then turned towards the door; Ted noted the half-gasp from his lips, but said nothing. "I'll be back later."

The door shut, leaving Ted with more questions than answers.

~

The more she thought about it, the less sense it made.

Ted had been dying; they'd all been sure of it. He'd only had the slimmest chance of recovery and then Booster had come along and all was well? J'onn had put it down to some sort of telepathic bond they shared, and whilst Bea had seen that unity of mind in action, something just didn't seem right.

When she looked for Booster, she found that he'd once again vanished. However, this time, she had an idea where to start and she found him on the floor of the Bug, winding a bandage around his leg.

"Booster? Are you okay?"

He quickly tried to hide what he was doing but gave up when he realised she had seen. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," she said, slowly. "Are you hurt?"

"It's none of your business, Bea," he snapped, pulling loose sweats over his bandaged leg. Bea noted that he was shaking slightly, fevered, but she didn't know what to say.

"Is…is this something to do with Ted?"

He tensed and turned to her with a desperate expression. "You didn't see anything," he ground out and then hurried out of the Bug. Bea was left, staring after him and wondering what on earth was going on.

~

He knew the signs of infection when he saw them, could see how Booster's hands trembled as he laid down the tray and how his left leg was threatening to buckle under him. He refused to ignore it any longer.

"What have you done to your leg?" he said quietly and watched Booster flinch.

"It's nothing, just a scratch, don't…" but Ted had already started forward and was pulling down the sweats to look.

"Steady, Ted, people will talk," Booster laughed, but it was high and false. Ted deftly unwound the bandages and grimaced at the sight. The whole thigh was lacerated with even strokes, careful knife wounds that could never be made in the heat of battle and swollen with infection.

"Did…did you do this?" Ted said with a faltering voice and Booster ducked his head, unwilling to look at him.

"Yes," he muttered and made to pull away, but Ted held onto him.

"Why?" he asked, voice as even as he could make it and Booster met his gaze with sad eyes.

"You…you were _dying_. Some survive the Pulp, others…don't. I didn't know if you would. But I…I…" he trailed off, shaking his head and taking deep breaths.

"Go on, Booster," Ted said softly, trying to preserve this fragile moment of confession.

"I'd been treated, so I could treat you," he said finally. It took Ted a moment to realise what he'd said, what that actually meant, and he struggled to keep from holding him right then, drawing him close and shutting out the world, the past, everything that could make Booster falter in this way.

"Nanities, you see," Booster said in a thick voice. "What we use in…the future, to treat the Pulp. I had to…build them up, so I created…an infection and they jumped at it. Then I…siphoned some off and transfused them. You keep a lot of equipment here, Ted."

"Yes," Ted said, absently, trying to process all this information at once. Booster had been a Pulp addict. He'd recovered. That was the reason Ted was still there, still breathing. His mind was spinning.

"Just…just another stupid thing I did." Booster shook his head. "I can't believe you'll still look at me."

" _Booster_ ," Ted sighed, lifting his chin so he would look at him. "Whatever happened in your past, whatever darkness lies there, you saved my life with your demons. I can't let you feel guilty for that."

His head fell forward onto Ted's shoulder and he held him close, scrambling for a hundred ways to lay those demons to rest as the soothing motion of his fingers slayed them by the score.

Together, they dressed the wound and sought out antibiotics from the Med lab. Then, quietly, they sat in the dark and waited for the morning, lying together and keeping in the warmth.

"I…I'm glad you're alive, Ted," Booster breathed against his neck. Ted smiled

"I love you too," he murmured and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
